Takeaways from the Rocky Mountain Beatdown

Now that everyone's favorite game is in the books with a nice beat down of the lambs, what did we learn and what meaningful takeaways are there?

To me, it's hard to tell if this was a case of CSU being awful or CU being good. I'd like to think it's more about the latter, but time will tell. The following are my positives/negatives based on this game.

Positives
- Great game plan on both sides of the ball and great job by the staff having the guys prepared

- WR corps looks great and you can tell they are actually being coached at a higher level (blocking!!!)

- The defense looks like a unit that will keep the Buffs competitive all season long, regardless of opponent

- Sefo is a warrior that looks like he's ready to lead this team to a bowl game

- I liked the featuring of Lindsay at RB instead of the awkward 4 RB rotation of recent years

- Chido is an absolute beast!

Negatives
- Ball security by Sefo and Lindsay was pretty poor. Can't have that many turnovers

- Sefo still having the occasional wtf throws (a few in particular cost them more points IMO)

- We didn't preserve the shutout

- Settled for FGs in a few situations that should have been TDs (nitpicking)

Obviously, very hard to find negatives in a game like this. CU dominated from start to finish and looked like a focused team ready to Rise. Another tune up game next week to get players healthy and work out more kinks before the first real test of the year in The Big House. Can't wait.

I think there's plenty to improve on pretty much everywhere except in the secondary and STs. Which it's nice to be able to takeaway from a 44-7 performance that there's still plenty to improve upon. Mac's teams in the past have improved as the year goes on, if that continues this year, we'll be bowling.

After a big win like this it can be hard to list off negatives or areas of improvement without seeming nitpicky. It must be a tough line for coaches to walk.

Obviously Sefo needs to tweak some things and improve his timing and accuracy. Lindsay needs to work in ball control if he wants to go from decent to good in the backfield and the WRs dropped a few catchable balls including Bobo who later made that jaw dropping one hander.

Downfield blocking and the defense were terrific though. The team will have a huge challenge with Michigan, but they've at least got the chance of a major upset.

this is when coaches can get nitpicky. It is a lot easier to coach hard after a win than after a loss, and players take coaching better after a win because they believe more in what they are doing, as it has already spawned results.

Nits: Ball Control
- low snaps to Sefo
- Sefo throwing high on the short pass and throwing short on the long pass
- Sefo and Lindsey fumbles

Nits: Player Rotation
- Realization that QB depth behind Sefo is suspect, and Sefo remains playing late in a blowout game with reckless abandon
- Find a way to get big George Frazier the ball

Nits: Red Zone
- not convinced goal line packages are P12 caliber. Moving the pile against CSU's D isn't the moving the pile against P12 foes.
- not all trips to red zone were effective - FGs instead of TDs
- fumbling (again) on running plays at goal line

Nits: Defense
- Freshman superstar Addison Gilliam not back to form yet

Nits: Other
- Some CU fans inability to trust that the blowout was underway when up 21-zip at 1st quarter. Took way to long for some gunshy watch party fans to break out the brash overconfidence. The Rise is real, people.
- Mack Brown color commentary. Texas Tech references and lazy "Cularada" pronunciation of our state.

Attaboys
- ESPN nationwide flagship station broadcast and time slot brought maximum prime time exposure to sports fans and the Buffs took advantage of the prime tv time to just destroy CSU in the first Q before Stanford-Kstate kickoff. Millions of indifferent, but football starved viewers and recruits were left with the best possible first impression of the Buffs on opening day.
- Most lopsided CSU blowout since President Eisenhower. So many young CU fans just witnessed their favorite game ever. Some just become life-long fans. Some will want to memorialize this rivalry blowout with a brick.
- Everything else on D, O and special teams

this is when coaches can get nitpicky. It is a lot easier to coach hard after a win than after a loss, and players take coaching better after a win because they believe more in what they are doing, as it has already spawned results.

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To be fair, the players were already nitpicking themselves postgame, really shows the mindset of a veteran team and how helpful that is for the coaches.

i hope our guys enjoy the win...they deserve it...and get right back to work.

i liked the point above about WR downfield blocking. i'm going throwback here but that's one thing that is essential and part of option football that is less taught i think in the 7 on 7 spread now-we-are calling it-air raid offense-world we are living in. that was a hallmark of Mac's teams, the great NU and OU option teams. you watch EB's long runs or Billy Sims or Mike Rozier's 75 yard blasts into the open field....there's a WR putting a hat on a guy downfield.

Leavitt coached a hell of a game. Yes, he has more to work with than last year but hats off to that guy. He got a lot of ESPN coverage during the game. He's going to get head coaching opportunities next year.

Both Sefo and Mac need to realize that up 37 (or whatever) isn't the time to get risky with your starting QB especially if he's just coming back from a season ending injury. He gets that foot stomped and we're back to bad times.

Put him back in his protective case at the start of the 4th. If you want/need him to get more reps to improve his reads fine then tell him if he crosses the line of scrimmage you'll nail him to the bench. Reduce the risks

Damn, Special Teams was another really big positive that I meant to put in. KOs in the end zone almost every time, Jay Mac is trustworthy on PR, Diego 3/3 on FGs, and we were close to blocking a punt or two. Some of the best STs play we've seen at this program in a while.

Another nitpick, which actually could end up as more than a nitpick down the road, is so many designed QB runs. Sefo's a beast and we can't completely take them out of the playbook, but we need him all season and he won't last rushing the ball 14 times a game with his running style.

Damn, Special Teams was another really big positive that I meant to put in. KOs in the end zone almost every time, Jay Mac is trustworthy on PR, Diego 3/3 on FGs, and we were close to blocking a punt or two. Some of the best STs play we've seen at this program in a while.

Damn, Special Teams was another really big positive that I meant to put in. KOs in the end zone almost every time, Jay Mac is trustworthy on PR, Diego 3/3 on FGs, and we were close to blocking a punt or two. Some of the best STs play we've seen at this program in a while.

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Agreed. Gonzalezs kicks all have pop, heat, whatever to them. That's a big change from last year and evidence he's put a lot of work in. Allowing the PR to decide whether to fair catch or take off means they trust the player(s). Really good to see.

On another ST note... Really happy to see our big legged kicker take the KO job AND the full time PK job. Is Grham's scholarship completely worthless this year?

One last thing regarding @Skidmark comment about prime time slot for recruits... Unfortunately it was on a Friday night in week 1 on in state high school play, and week 2 of the national season. Unless they recorded it, I highly doubt many recruits got to watch the game unfortunately.